November 2021 Newsletter

Message from the Director

Greetings!

As the holiday season quickly comes upon us, it is with much gratitude and excitement that we begin living into our new space. While there are still ordered items out there on ships waiting to dock at a variety of ports, we await their arrival with anticipation, hopefully followed soon with relief and celebration – not the least of which our interior windows.

Invitations for an open house will be forthcoming in the next week or two – likely for early December when we also expect to have some news about a project to help us increase our capacity to serve more and more individuals with disabilities.

This has been a tremendous financial undertaking by the organization and we ask for your consideration in your year-end giving through any of the following easy options:

Ways you can help:

Choose FSDS as your charity of choice on smile.amazon.com
Choose FSDS (organization #EY153) with Fry’s at frysfood.com Fry’s Community Rewards; and link your shopper card # to us. They each donate a percentage of yours and my purchases to the charity chosen.
Check if your employer offers a matching gift program which can double the amount of support at no extra cost to you when you sign up.
Please consider FSDS on Giving Tuesday with a gift of your choosing

And remember the tax credit you can receive for gifts to FSDS as an AZ Qualifying Charitable Organization (Code 22372) at azdor.gov.

My best!

Karen

Classroom News

Keeta/ Recipient Marissa & Dani– this past month we have been at work on getting Dani adjusted to the new distractions and sights/sounds at the police station. Our focus has been on generalizing some basic obedience tasks around distractions. Marissa is continuing to progress well with her training, and her SDIT Dani has already begun picking up dropped items for Marissa and retrieving them from a distance. Dani has even woken Marissa up from a bad nightmare and aided in reorienting her. We are anticipating graduation by the end of the year.

Yamill Perez/ Recipient Shannon & Bailey– with the training room now being completed in our new facility we are beginning our in person sessions to get Shannon and Bailey more comfortable with working together. Yamill has been slowly taking Bailey to school with him to enhance her public access trainng experience. Additionally, he is at work to train those tasks that are specific to his recipient such as “go get help” and adding further distance in her training. Her “touch” command is coming along very well. Bailey is doing wonderful when it comes to interrupting behaviors and helping to reorient the recipient to the her and now. This progress is a direct function of the hard work that this local teen has put into the training. Four paws up to Yamill for his outstanding contribution to our community.

Now Accepting Applications

If you are are looking to train a service dog for your needs, we are now accepting new applications for the classes which will start at our new Glendale location early next year (pending Covid response). Inquiries can be sent to our lead trainer.

Please do not get a dog first and then contact us later…contact us first so that we may assist you in selecting the right dog for your needs.

Looking For a Year End Tax Credit? Tax Credit Now Available

The FSDS has been designated as a Qualifying Charitable Organization (QCO) by the State of Arizona. Our QCO code is 22372. Donations you make between now and the end of the calendar year may be claimed by visiting the AZ Dept. of Revenue website and completing Form 352 for the current calendar year. Individuals who donate to the FSDS are eligible to subtract the amount donated dollar for dollar from the amount owed the state, thus decreasing your tax burden. The maximum credit allowed is $1,000 for married filing joint filers and $500 for single, heads of household, or those who are married but filing separate.

Wellness Tip

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate family and friends, so please do not forget your 4-legged best friend. Toys and treats are great gifts for your dog, but remember the following tips:

Do not use human food as treats, some foods can be highly toxic for dogs
Avoid rawhide treats
If a toy is small enough to be dropped through the center of a roll of toilet paper, it is too small and can become a choking hazard
Avoid squeaker and plush toys as these can cause intestinal obstruction if swallowed

Remember to keep a lid on your kitchen garbage can so that your dog does not scavenge for scraps that might harm them. Also avoid treating your dog with bones from a turkey or other meat. Bones can have sharp ends if chewed, and can lodge in the soft papate causing significant injury.

Also remember that on the first of each month you should change your dogs toothbrush, and provide flea/tick and heartworm treatments. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving.

Our Sincere Thanks

We wish to express our sincere appreciation to those individuals / organizations who have so generously donated in the past month to support our program and mission.